Unexpected Parenthood
by Onikyuuketsuki
Summary: With the curse removed at last, what Reborn didn't expect was to find himself at another timeline when he woke up from his sleep. And why was dame Tsuna as a baby? Where were they? AT (Alternate Timeline) right after the final chapter of the manga... title is lame, sorry orz
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary**_: With the curse removed at last, what Reborn didn't expect was to find himself at another timeline when he woke up from his sleep. And why was dame Tsuna as a baby? Where were they? AT (Alternate Timeline) right after the final chapter of the manga.

I also had help from my beta: **momorona** as well as her Italian translations. So er, enjoy?

_**Rating:**_ T might change to M in later chapters

_**Disclaimer**_: Only the plot of this is my idea

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

_Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter._

The soft sound of raindrops hitting against the windows roused Reborn awake. Heavy eyelids cracked open, revealing obsidian orbs before they blinked sleep away. It was probably sometime early in the morning, he mused, half asleep. But from years of experience as a well-known hitman that he became aware, his senses sharp to his surroundings. Something was not right. And if he could describe it, it would most likely be something along the line of '_out of place_'. So the moment Reborn had opened his eyes, what he first saw was not Tsuna's room. Even with the lack of light in the dim space, he could make out the layout here. Just by the faint outlines highlighted by the slowly growing sun told him many things by sight alone.

Well-worn rough cobble stones decorated the surface of the room, floors and ceiling. At the sides along the walls, dark rosewood furniture stood free from dust. Each furnishing was heavily decorated with delicate and precise Victorian wood carving, well-coated with a smooth wood polish. And the single bed he was currently laid on, had plain cotton white sheets covering his person, keeping him warm. No mess, no adolescent's used dirty laundry thrown all over the place, no failed test papers sticking out of unsuccessfully hidden locations, no nothing.

Reborn knew for sure that he was no longer in Japan.

But the moment he sat up in bed, the hitman froze and stared down at his lap. There were two things which ran through his head the moment Reborn was force to take note of. Endless questions would occur later once his mind managed to register the sight before him. Now, what he saw wasn't an infant's body and limbs he had been cursed with for years as an Arcobaleno. They were toned and well-developed, telling of an adult body that the man had missed greatly. Reborn could have felt as though the curse had never taken place, or even ruined the first couple of years of his life stuck as an infant, but it was foolish thinking, to be ignorant of what had already happened rather than to accept it. Hadn't he been doing fine until now? So why should this tempt him into assuming his past had all been a bad dream? There was just no way Reborn could change his own past even if he was given a choice.

He stared down at his own physical self, stunned but for a short moment. There was also his black suit on him but it was surprisingly old fashioned in design, he noted.

His attention was immediately caught by the single movement that had rolled off him —probably from him sitting up— and would had fallen off the bed if the hitman hadn't stopped it with his large hand. There, laid on the man's lap by his little back was a young toddler, appearing no older than a year, fifteen months at most, Reborn estimated. Black obsidian eyes stared at the child-like features on the latter's chubby, baby fat face, that familiar brown fluffy mane of hair, and the very same look his dame student would have given him whenever the boy was scared. And rather than facing a fourteen year old teenager, Tsunayoshi was now a toddler.

It would be understandable if he had been hit by that idiot Lambo's Ten Year Bazooka. But still, this didn't explain how his dame student would end up outside of Japan at this time and age. The report that Sawada Iemitsu had given him a couple of years ago indicated that his son would be under his mother's care since birth. And judging from the furniture's designs in this room, it appeared to be not of the actual timeline where Reborn was in as well. So _if_ it was somehow the doings of the bazooka, which had probably been malfunctioned, then pray tell how was it that he himself appeared as an adult instead than an infant? And besides, it was unheard of for the machine to send two people from different time periods consecutively!

The soft sounds of sniffling could be heard clearly in the silent room, the tell-tale sign that Tsuna was about to cry —most likely from being startled from his sleep earlier. Reborn had a feeling that if he didn't do anything soon, it would be difficult to get the toddler to calm down lest make thinking difficult if he wanted to figure out the main problem. Threats would surely be out of the option here. It just wouldn't do any good in such a situation as this.

Large teary brown eyes stared back up at him, his lower pink lip protruding out of a trembling pout.

Sniff.

Reborn tutted at the sight. He made a grab for the too-large T-shirt Tsuna was wearing, and picked the little brunet easily by the back of the clothing single-handedly. The sudden action caused poor Tsuna to squeak softly in surprise, wide-eyed as small limbs flailed in midair. Tiny hands tried to gain hold of anything he could reach, terrified of the sudden height —even though it wasn't that high off of Reborn's lap at all. This simple gesture itself wouldn't have done much to anyone, or so the hitman thought. He merely brought his young charge up to eye-level and continued to peer at the other, his own face unreadable. And the more the man continued to observe him, he soon realised there was no recognition from those brown eyes.

Nothing at all.

He sighed. "...you're already such a handful, dame Tsuna."

"Uguu..." There was another sniff in response. Tiny hands decided to hold onto Reborn's face as that was the only thing the toddler could reach. Slightly startled, that gesture itself made the man stiffen and he withdrew himself away from the other shortly.

"First, I'll have to find out the current situation here that we're stuck in. And later, I'll have to think up on what to do with you." Sharp obsidian eyes gazed around the room, finding for any clues that could give him a heads up. He continued, even without looking back at the toddler.

_Leon is nowhere to be found as well. Perhaps he wasn't pulled along in this?_

"And I know for sure that you don't belong here either."

Tossing the plain covers off his legs, Reborn got off the bed still carrying the sniffling Tsuna with him by the back of the too-large T-shirt. However, before the man could take another step towards the nearest wooden table filled with drawers, the toddler started to cry again. Small arms and legs started to flail and kick about as endless fat tears ran down the chubby face. And moments later, little Tsuna's nose became red from all the crying. Reborn could see that he was upset about something but from what, he wasn't able to tell.

The hitman paused in his search to look back at the toddler, bringing him up to eye-level again. "_Che_, dame Tsuna," He started to shake him a little, barely using much strength with his hand. "_Stop_ crying."

But poor little Tsuna continued to cry harder, finding it uncomfortable with the way he was being carried. And with Reborn's full height, the young brunet was even more terrified. It was just _too_ high up! But the hitman wasn't able to comprehend that with just the noise and tears. A toddler's way of thinking was completely different than a child's or an adult's. So Reborn found it hard to understand what was wrong. It was even starting to get out of hand with the noise and all. To whoever might be living nearby would be able to hear Tsuna's crying. And one thing was for sure, there was a high possibility that before Reborn woke to find himself here, that no record of a baby ever reside in this room with his parents before now. It would get complicated if the neighbours started to get nosy or even call the police about this matter. No way would he allow the citizens to wander into here.

Reborn tutted.

The man turned around and lightly 'dumped' his young charge on the bed, letting the crying little brunet slightly land onto his butt. The sudden action caused the toddler to bounce a bit on the mattress, cushioning him; the plain covers appeared like some makeshift nest around him. The abruptness of the release made Tsuna blink, ceased his crying and sniffed. His large brown eyes were now red and puffy as he peered back up towards Reborn with a hiccup. Seeing that there was no more crying involved, the hitman ran a hand through his unruly dark locks while his other took hold of his fallen fedora by the nightstand. He wore his trademark fashion accessory on his head and turned back to the actual matter at hand. Maybe there were some documents in there, indicating whoever lived here?

With that in mind, Reborn strode back towards the wooden table again and started his investigation, a candle lit with a matchstick for light source. Pointless papers and articles were placed aside onto the furniture's top surface, neatly stacked. So while the hitman was preoccupied, Tsuna had actually been watching him the entire time in silence. There were a few occasional soft hiccups here and there; his curiosity over the man had gained his interest. Large brown eyes followed every movement Reborn made while the toddler observed, fascinated. Soon enough, it was a few minutes later that he watched Reborn empty every single drawer there was on it. But what the man found through his first search was the very date that was today.

It was based off Italy's daily newspaper, printed:

_21 May 1780_

That was certainly too far into the past they had gotten in. Reborn himself wasn't even born yet. And if he referred to what he had known about Vongola's history, it should probably be sometime around Primo's generation. Yet, it still didn't explain much on their current situation. Ugh. Tsuna tilted his fluffy head to the side in question at the adult's silent ponderings.

"_Questo è senza scopo*._" Reborn clicked his tongue, displeased.

But before he could continue for the next search in this room, there was the sound of growling from behind that broke the silence. The hitman paused, turning his head to look towards Tsuna —who squeaked softly, startled at the sudden attention towards him. He watched as the toddler fidgeted under his stare, little eyebrows were furrowed as tiny hands tugged at the covers beneath him. Perhaps the investigation could wait after they had their breakfast. With that thought in mind, Reborn headed back over to the bed, picked his young charge by the same way again and strode out of the room. There were some futile struggles from Tsuna's part, not liking the discomfort the man gave him once more.

"U_gu_!"

"Oi, dame Tsuna, quit squirming."

Instead of receiving an intelligible response, there were some gurgling sounds coming from the toddler's mouth. But none of it made any sense to the hitman. Reborn soon had them passed by a small yet spacious living room, the only furniture there were a simple old fashioned radio and an arm chair. Nothing more, nothing less. Simple, but empty. It was as though the resident of this place had barely lived in it. And yet, he felt this was very much like his days back when he was working as a famous hitman.

"Stop it or you're going to hurt y—"

Alas, the waterworks started again as Tsuna's wailing cut his words off. Damn, how was it that someone so young could cry so much? And the longer the toddler carried on, Reborn felt a headache settling snugly in his head. If only if Leon was here, he could just have his partner transform into earplugs for him or something. Luce was also out of the question. There was no way Reborn could ask her for information on toddlers. He knew she had experience with her own daughter, Aria. But it was impossible now since she wasn't around yet. It was common sense on that answer, whereby being stuck in this situation with Tsuna. And if Luce was here now, the young mother would probably be around Tsuna's age. Too young, let alone recognise him.

But from what he remembered, Reborn had actually seen Luce looking after little Aria when he was visiting her —except it was only long enough to witness the child being fed from a milk bottle. Child rearing was the last thing on his mind, being as an assassin in the Mafia World and all. During that time, the hitman had better things to pay attention to and matters to handle. That much was what Reborn knew, and now he was currently faced with a predicament he did not know how to handle. He inhaled deeply and sighed. It wasn't the same as when he was stuck in an infant body. The hitman still had the thoughts and mentality of his actual age, sometimes making use of his curse to hide his presence better, taking advantage of an unfortunate stature.

But now... what was he to do with this problem?

Tsuna cried even harder, tiny hands trying to grasp for the only adult with him. Reborn had to actually pause in his steps by the narrow hallway, a few feet away from the kitchen. He could already see what the toddler wanted but just... why? What did dame Tsuna even want from him, a killer no less of all people? There was nothing oh so particular about a hitman that a toddler wanted. And despite his unanswered questions, he mentally winced at the sheer volume from such a small mouth. Okay, maybe he shouldn't ignore the little brunet's cries or else the hitman would go deaf soon. Also, the neighbours would probably have heard all those noises by now. So much for wanting to keep their presence hidden from the world outside.

Tch.

Reborn decided to place the little upset brunet onto the dining table after entering the kitchen. Maybe Tsuna didn't like to be carried? And the moment the toddler was being released again, unsurprisingly to Reborn, he watched as the other ceased crying right away. He merely stared down at Tsuna, his face unreadable, confusion evident in his dark orbs.

Witnessing his young charge's odd behaviour made the hitman questioned himself almost in frustration. Just what did dame Tsuna want from him?

* * *

Questo è senza scopo – 'This is pointless'

_**A/N**_: My very first story so please bear with me on this. Hopefully it doesn't bore you out or something with the way I wrote through the process. Oh and I hope the story doesn't appear too complicated to understand. D'X

Now, before anyone gets the wrong idea (like child abuse, etc.) as the story progress, I should give you all a heads up on this. My idea of this story is make their unpredictable circumstances, relationships between each other, etc. to be as realistic as I am able to in this. So no 'snap of the fingers' of help coming right away or at that instance, etc. sort of thing. There needs to be some experience in unfortunate difficulties along the way as they progress. Oh and the answers of all the mysteries would soon come along shortly as the chapters goes on.

Reviews would be nice on any constructive criticism and comments. They would help me greatly in improving my story as I get used to this.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Summary**_: It's mentioned above so I don't think it's necessary for me to repeat it again.

**Beta:** momorona

_**Rating:**_ T might change to M in later chapters

_**Disclaimer**_: Only the plot of this is my idea

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

Only the sound of the soothing gentle rain filled the silence. Peaceful. Calm. Therapeutic. The serenity of the simplest acts Mother Nature could give, nourishing the dirt and giving life to the living on earth was tantamount to paradise. But somewhere in Italy, the atmosphere deep within the city of wet cobblestone streets was of a different matter.

In a dimly lit kitchen, as well as the rest of the rooms, its atmosphere appeared depressing for a child living here, too gloomy for someone like Tsuna who shone with his innocent, child-like smile. The toddler appeared out of place just by being here, Reborn mused. Shadowed obsidian eyes observed as large expressive brown orbs peered uncertainly back and forth between the man and his surroundings. He could even see Tsuna fidgeting and squirming nervously on the hard cold surface of the wooden furniture. Though Reborn understood that such a new environment would cause one to feel unease, what he didn't realise was the fact that his intimidating gaze, together with the dimness of their surroundings, would result of a delusion from an over imaginative child's mind. For a toddler as young as Tsuna, to his curious eyes, Reborn appeared like some monster from a nightmare.

This clearly terrified the young brunet to his wits.

Tsuna burst out crying. _Loudly_.

It was immediate. There was no warning to this confusing incident happening before him. And the more Reborn tried to figure it out, the more blanks he came up with. It felt as though one tried to accomplish something that had never been done or had even been known before. Tsuna was neither picked up nor touched. _So why...?_ And like earlier, there was no answer he could come up with.

He mentally winced at the sheer volume of those distressed cries, disliking the sensation of feeling helpless in such a situation. Reborn was used to knowing almost everything when it came to his job. Or when information was lacking, the hitman would hunt down his targets to gain them his way.

But it was nothing like this. Leon wasn't even here with him either. Tch. There was just no one around for questioning or any familiar faces for advice on child rearing.

With a toddler now under his care, that option of asking around wasn't exactly a smart idea. In such an unknown place and time, Reborn was able to take care of himself, but it would be risky for Tsuna's safety. And bringing his young charge from place to place wouldn't ensure the toddler to be quiet the entire time. Those cries of his would attract unwanted attention towards themselves, endangering them in the process of all these mess.

He would have to figure about that later. Some way, somehow. Tsuna's crying was already starting to deafen him.

Exhaling heavily, Reborn took his fedora off and ran a hand through his unruly dark locks. And without thinking much about it, he placed the hat onto Tsuna's head. It engulfed most of that fluffy brown hair due to its large size and, to his slight amusement; it even went over the young brunet's tearful eyes.

Sniff. "...da...?" came the soft response as large brown eyes shut in reflex. Reborn watched, observing closely.

The sudden weigh on his head made the toddler curious despite his crying. Sniffs and hiccups could be heard shortly as Tsuna's sobs died down in his distraction. His large puffy eyes opened slowly. But the sight of total darkness underneath the fedora made the young brunet squeak in surprise, recoiling at once to get away from it. Tiny hands tried to shove off whatever it was on him, clumsily at that, but his feeble strength merely pushed the fedora up slightly, only enabling the toddler to peer back at Reborn again.

The man appeared not as scary as before, the toddler noted, blinking back stray tears and hiccupped a couple more. Reborn, on the other hand, wasn't even sure how such a simple, random action could help with this. But it did its part, unexpectedly. And he was pleased by this turnout. With Tsuna no longer crying, the hitman suddenly remembered he had yet to feed the young brunet. Maybe that was the reason why the other was upset? It wasn't as though the hitman had ignored Tsuna's hunger in the first place.

Hmm...

* * *

Still wearing the fedora, the curious young brunet peered at his surroundings in interest. It wasn't as dark as before. The morning sun outside had already started to rise up slowly in the sky, its grumpy brother no longer showering the rooftops with its gentle pour. A beautiful orangey glow from the dawning sun bathed every available surface it touched, its soft golden rays warm and welcoming. It was a brand new day with clear skies and a peaceful breeze. And that meant a new adventure for a highly curious Sawada Tsunayoshi.

With tiny hands, he pushed himself up unsteadily to his little feet on the dining table. Large brown eyes peered up and the first thing that he saw was Reborn's broad back covered by the black suit. The hitman was currently preoccupied in searching through cupboards in the kitchen for food available. And being so small even if Tsuna stood with both feet on the large furniture, he wasn't tall enough to see the things stored in those cupboards. But the curious toddler did notice that the man was the closest thing he could reach. He toddled over, hands outstretched for balance as little feet padded softly across a short distance on the table's surface.

It wasn't far off between the edges of the furniture with the kitchen counters. And with Reborn in the middle, Tsuna started his new adventure by climbing. Tiny hands gripped onto the thick, dark material, the sensation unique to his touch that it made him wonder for a moment. But despite his curiosity over it, the young brunet carried on climbing. Little feet nearly slipped a couple of times along the way while through this obstacle course, a challenge in his opinion in order to reach his goal.

What would await him at the top, he wondered excitedly. But he didn't get far.

The action in itself surprised Reborn as he stopped his search. His large hand reached to his back just when Tsuna clung onto his neck and started gnawing onto the back of his shirt collar. Reborn almost made a face at that. His shirt would be ruined by saliva if the toddler kept up with it.

"Oi, dame Tsuna, stop chewing it." The hitman quickly made a grab for the too-large t-shirt his young charge was wearing, pulling him away.

"...!"

Startled, Tsuna tried to have a firm hold onto Reborn's suit, not wanting his fun to end but his tiny hands did not have enough strength. Little brows furrowed at that as the man took him away. And instead, he found himself seated on the kitchen counter face-to-face before the other. The toddler could only peer up at Reborn, wondering what would happen next. But nothing occurred. He watched as the man took a couple of items off one of the cupboards above before heading over to the stove with a pot and a pan. Curious by that, Tsuna started to follow after, crawling along the counter. He did not notice Reborn's sharp gaze keeping watch over both cooking and the toddler.

Bubbles. Lots and lots of pretty bubbles started growing in the boiling pot. Tsuna was immediately fascinated by the sight as he edged closer. But a large hand got into his way, stopping him right when the toddler was almost to the stove. The young brunet could only frown, his lower lip protruding at that when he could go no further. Tiny hands tried to reach out but it was futile. All he could do was watch the pretty bubbles foam and accumulate in the pot.

..._pretty bubbles_...

"Don't come too close, dame Tsuna, you'll get hurt if you touch this." Came Reborn's deep, smooth voice yet there was a hint of a purr in his husky tone, rich with his Italian accent. If this was the teenager Tsuna, he would've understood somehow on why women throw themselves by the hitman's feet —other than Reborn's appearance of course.

But since this was his toddler self, the young brunet merely blinked up at him whilst seated at the counter. He tilted his fluffy head to the side in questioning.

"Babbu...?"

And right after that, Tsuna started making gurgling sounds from his mouth. It seemed he was trying to indicate to the man what he wanted by his nonsensical way of speech that only babies understood. Tiny hands were outstretched once more —Reborn was still holding him back by his front— as they flexed in a 'grabbing' motion towards the bubbling pot. It took a few moments as the hitman observed the toddler's frowning face, thinking about his behaviour. And as he stirred the softened pasta in hot water with a wooden spoon, Reborn wondered if his young charge was really starving for his age.

Did Tsuna even had food way before all these mess occurred?

The last he remembered, when he was with Tsuna before this, they had dinner that Nana had prepared last night. Being with the brunet for some time now, Reborn had seen firsthand how much the teenager ate. The amount was suitable for an average growing boy at fourteen. And he knew Tsuna wasn't a big eater either. So it shouldn't be that much of a difference even when the other was now a toddler, right?

Reborn would have to observe the young brunet's eating habits later. But for now, he had to attend to the sauce cooking in the pan as it required his attention.

The sweet aroma of freshly grounded tomatoes mixed with olive oil bubbled smoothly under medium heat. Reborn had come across some, and for some strange reason, they were found growing from a potted plant in one of the cupboards he found. Wouldn't it wither and die in there without sunlight? If it was being kept there for a couple of days, it would have. But the plant appeared fine. Maybe it was put in there recently by the owner, seeing as the air from the cupboard did not smell musty and damp from trapped moisture. It even appeared healthy and ripe for picking too.

Strange.

Reborn was just about to add some finely chopped onions when he caught sight of what Tsuna was about to do by the corner of his eyes. With the same hand that was stopping the toddler earlier; he quickly took the pepper shaker away from his young charge's little grasps.

"Da!" Tsuna cried and flung his small arms into the air to get it back, trying to reach for the so called 'Mr Pepper'. "_Daaaaaaaa!_" He whined, upset. And for some reason, it made Reborn recall the exact same way the brunet would complain to him by dragging his name to emphasize his frustration.

The corners of his lips twitched upwards of a smirk, amused. And ignoring the upset huff coming from the toddler, Reborn carried on with his cooking by adding in some of the needed pepper. He made a quick glance over to the young brunet, watching as the other sulked. Tsuna appeared more like he was pouting, his chubby cheeks rosy red when he had puffed them out.

Reborn's smirk widened at that.

"Dame Tsuna, that's not for eating by itself." He tutted, placing the pepper shaker back onto the counter. The hitman then took salt from the spice rack this time. "Not everything can be put into your mouth."

And before Tsuna could sulk further, the large fedora on his head slipped over his eyes again. It took a while for him to realise this, startling the poor toddler who wasn't expecting his sight to be engulfed in darkness. And all he did was to shriek in fright. It even almost sounded like a bloodcurdling scream.

"Oi, oi, it's just a hat, dame Tsuna." Reborn decided to take his fedora back and wore it, his eardrums ringing from the aftermath. With his free hand, he ruffled up the toddler's fluffy brown locks just as Tsuna sniffed, teary-eyed. "See? It's nothing to be scared of."

The young brunet merely eyed the hat on the man's head uncertainly but for a moment. He could only frown at it, thinking that Mr Hat was a scary black thing that sat on Reborn's head. Tsuna didn't understand why the other had it in the first place. Inside was all dark and creepy to the toddler. But his attention to it didn't last long as his eyes caught sight of something shiny. He made a grab onto a large metal table spoon by the counter beside him, his attention solely on it now.

And being the child he was, Tsuna started shaking it. He suddenly held it towards Reborn with a happy wide smile, showing baby teeth.

"Da! Da da!" The toddler cheered, waving it about like a wand. But it seemed he didn't have a firm grip on the handle as it flew out of his grasp. "_Da_!" Tsuna cried, horrified.

And as though in slow motion, the spoon immediately smacked right onto Reborn's left cheek before landing onto the stone-slab floor with a tinny 'tinging' sound.

"..."

* * *

_**A/N**_: Thanks to those who reviewed. I guess it was a little shocking when I woke up the next day to find so many notifications in my inbox. And while I was still stunned by them, I guess I deleted one of the anonymous reviews by mistake. I'm still trying to get use to this site and their functions. And it seems that before my brain could register what I was doing while looking at the moderate reviews section, I had clicked onto some sort of 'submit' button before I noticed what they were already selected at. I am still regretting over that fact till now. orz

Oh and one thing I noticed, it seemed I didn't research well enough on babies that I made another mistake orz I read that most of 15 month olds could already talk at least simple, one to two words in their vocabulary. So I'm gonna make it seem that Tsuna is just a slow bloomer. (Strange that my friend didn't point this out to me as she knows more about child behaviour, etc.)

Beta-chan was busy with her homework so this chapter took a while to submit till she was free. u_u

To **Come Winter**, if you hadn't pointed those bits out, I wouldn't have realised my mistake. My bad. But this just gave me a new idea to my story. I know those items which seem out of place in such a timeline, but they're those small oddities which one wouldn't realize until later. Unless you are from that generation itself/a collector/have studied about certain topics relating them, you would've noticed it right away on this strangeness. Then again, majority of the population (unless I'm wrong) in the world now are used to the everyday current things which we rely on in this generation. So old antiques would just blend in with their surroundings, seeing that they're all from the past.

The thing is that, everything in itself is odd to begin with. Reborn finding himself here with a baby is already strange. But because he's preoccupied with Tsuna's behaviour and trying to find clues (which are barely to none), he hasn't notice those misplaced items...yet. He will soon enough once he isn't distracted with his confusion on the toddler. And I'm also trying to make Reborn as human as possible despite his profession. There's no way a single person out there would be completely flawless in everything. So let's just say he's just a little sidetracked at the moment, like a jetlag to his new environment.

Oh and one last thing, is the information on the newspaper the actual date where they are at? ;) Who knows? Yup, everything from the room itself where he found himself in is an entire big mystery.

Again, reviews would be nice on any constructive criticism and comments. They would help me greatly in improving my story as I get used to this.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Summary**_: I don't suppose I have to mention about this by now.

**Beta:** momorona

_**Rating:**_ T might change to M in later chapters

_**Disclaimer**_: Only the plot of this is my idea

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

Tsuna stared down at his tiny hand, flexing his little fingers as he wondered what had just happened. Why did Mr. Spoon fall? Confused, the young brunet peered back up towards Reborn and held his small opened palm out. He even waved it up and down to emphasize his need for Mr. Spoon to be back to him. Perhaps Reborn kept it? But the man himself had his unreadable eyes shadowed beneath his black fedora, head bowed. He wasn't even looking towards Tsuna's way as he carried on stirring the sauce in the pan.

"Da!" This time, Reborn started adding in the softened pasta, ignoring him. Tsuna could only frown at that. He cried louder this time, small arms waving randomly about vigorously. "DAAAA! _DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_"

The poor upset toddler's whining became shrilling screams as he started crying. Tiny hands started to grab for random items near him while he cried himself out. And in his frustration, Tsuna threw them at Reborn with all the strength his tiny body allowed, unable to see with endless tears obstructing his view. He wanted Mr. Spoon back!

That was when Reborn finally had enough. When did he even sign up for this?! He was a well-known hitman for God's sake! An assassin after another's life and not looking after some goddamn babies! Ugh. Once everything was back to the usual, he would definitely triple up his dame student's training at once! Call it as payment for this mess Reborn was stuck with. His dame student needed to take responsibility for his young self's actions. And then, perhaps, he would enjoy seeing the brunet scream in horror and resignation.

Oh, he would definitely like the sound of that. Heh.

The sight of Tsuna's clumsy and poor aim was laughable but it wasn't surprising, seeing as his young charge was just a toddler. Reborn expertly avoided any mess towards his way, not the least amused. The pasta was finally cooked, sitting fresh and steamy hot in its pan with the fire off. So he no longer needed to pay attention to it. With that out of the way, Reborn quickly stopped one of Tsuna's tiny hands from throwing a handsome golden pocket watch —where did that come from? Without wasting time, he thrust a large serving spoon in front of the crying toddler, waving it a bit to get the other's attention. It didn't take long. The metallic shine soon got the young brunet to notice it, those large watery puffy eyes brightening at the sight. Tiny hands immediately tried to gain hold of it as Reborn let him. And in no time at all, the toddler himself was already distracted and completely absorbed in his newfound fascination.

It was huge in comparison compared to the previous!

While that was done, the hitman let go of the young brunet's hand and held the watch in his free grasp. His sharp obsidian eyes observed the detailed carvings of Victorian designs covering its entire outer surface, both front and back. Its weight felt right on his palm with its polished metal cool to the touch. The watch appeared to be well looked after as there was not a single scratch or rust in sight. And with his thumb, Reborn clicked it open.

But the sight inside immediately made him clutched it tightly, its circular edge biting into the pads of his fingers.

Ruby red blood covered over most of the inner cover of the lid and glassy surface of the watch. With it opened, the excess amount managed to escape and drip onto his palm, the thick fluid felt warm and familiar to the touch. _Fresh_. A recent kill, he mused. Despite being a seasoned hitman himself, the sight was still haunting and unpleasant to him. It made his heart cold and bitter with all the lives he had to eliminate. And the more he killed, the more Reborn's world darkened and thickened. It became suffocating. Empty. Hollow.

_Maddening. Desiring. Exhilarating..._

Tsuna's child-like giggles and soft squeals brought Reborn's attention back to earth. His hand was already inside his suit in reflex for his gun. But Leon was not here nor was there an actual weapon itself on him. The leathered gun holster was also missing in the first place. And realising where he was, Reborn tutted at himself for getting distracted like that. It had been a long while since something had managed to get to him like this. There was no way he was not going to let this happen again. It would cost him his life if he did.

The hitman quickly shut the lid close, not wanting the blood to drip onto the floor just in case. He slipped it into one of his suit's pockets, wanting to investigate later as his feet brought him straight to the sink. He needed to wash the blood off, using the time to try composing himself again. Firstly, there was the tomato plant's odd location and now the pocket watch with the blood. None of it made _any_ sense! It was too random. Too absurd. But on that thought, Reborn suddenly realized that some items in this house were too out of place in this time frame. He started to suspect that someone had messed up with Time and its dimensions. And perhaps throw him and Tsuna both into this mess as well?

But what _was_ their purpose for doing this, Reborn wondered.

The conclusion he came up with was easy. Too simple, without much thought. To be rid of the strongest hitman and also the _Decimo_, someone was trying to break the Vongola apart. It was done in order to cause ruckus and confusion with the _famiglia's_ leader and 'advisor' missing. A common scenario one would use to create the necessary uncertainty and fear for everyone in Vongola. And while that would be happening, the enemies of the _famiglia_ would use this distraction to ambush and endanger everyone.

It was not good. This would become a bloody massacre if that were to be the case. Reborn needed to act _fast_. Tsuna was _far_ too young to be of any help now.

Currently, said toddler was happily gnawing on the spoon, saliva on both utensil and tiny hands gripping onto the long metal handle. Reborn could see Tsuna was into his world of his own as he turned the running tap off, palm free of blood. It took only a short moment to place the appropriate amount of pasta onto both plates by the dining table. So with that done, Reborn once again carried his young charge by the back of the too-large t-shirt. And by now, the hitman knew what was to come whenever he did that.

Not a minute later, he could see Tsuna's happy grin turned downwards as the young brunet frowned unhappily.

Reborn was already prepared for what was to come. Just before the toddler could make a fuss like earlier, while trying to hit the man with the spoon this time, Reborn had already placed the toddler onto a seat beside him. Tsuna peered up in response, his large expressive brown eyes blinked as he gnawed onto his spoon again with both tiny hands. His small frame appeared tiny on the large dining chair with the table too high up for reach. Reborn could only stare down at the strange but cute sight for a moment.

_Hmm... on second thought..._

Taking a seat himself, the hitman carried Tsuna once more but this time, prop the toddler onto his lap. It would do for now, Reborn decided, satisfied. He even made sure that the young brunet would not fall off, seeing as Tsuna, for some reason, started bouncing happily on his lap and waving his spoon about. The hitman instantly had an arm around the toddler's body to still him with his own, the action itself causing Tsuna to stop and peer up at him again with his fluffy head tilted back. Those large eyes of his blinked, its small mouth was slightly opened in child-like wonder.

"Uuu...?" Tsuna tilted his head to the side, holding his spoon up high into the air towards Reborn's face, waving it about.

"Don't want you falling off and hurt yourself. Sometimes your older self would even trip onto his own feet, dame Tsuna." Taking the toddler's wrist, Reborn gently held it down. With the serving spoon out of the way, he then went to pick up a fork on the dining table. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

Tsuna turned his gaze ahead of him, his large curious eyes catching sight of the plate filled with freshly cooked pasta waiting to be eaten. His little chin managed to reach just above the table's surface, the height itself was enough for him to see and reach forth. With the same tiny hand holding the large serving spoon, Tsuna held it out and started a combination of prodding and whacking the food gleefully. The action itself immediately caused both pasta and sauce to fly as the toddler cheered happily, hitting the table with his free hand at the same time.

Reborn did not find this amusing at all. He quickly stopped the young brunet from making a mess again —or worse, ruined the food by playing with it. The hitman then confiscated the serving spoon from Tsuna's tiny grasp.

"_Oi, oi, oi_, dame Tsuna. That's not for playing." He warned with a stern look down at the toddler on his lap. "If you're _not_ going to listen, I won't get you food the next time."

"...! DA!" Tsuna cried, tiny hands trying to reach up for Mr. Big Spoon. But Reborn held it out of his reach. The unhappy toddler could only frown at that, unable to get it back. He even started sulking with a pout, small shoulders dejected. Creating a commotion didn't really get him what he wanted to convey.

He never actually got Mr. Spoon back, Tsuna soon notice that.

Placing the utensil at one side of the table, Reborn picked up his fork again. He had placed it back down earlier when Tsuna started making a mess. And now that the hitman had a firm hold on the toddler, he could finally start eating in peace. He ignored the wasted bits of food on the table's surface caused by his young charge's destruction. But it was only after his second forkful of pasta that Reborn noticed something. Sharp, obsidian eyes had caught sight of a pair of large, brown orbs peering up curiously at his actions, sulking gone. Reborn then lifted his utensil up from his own plate, observing the way Tsuna's eyes followed his every move with rapt attention. As he brought it to his lips, putting a forkful of pasta into his mouth, he noticed the toddler continued to watch with his little lips forming an 'o' expression as though understanding how it was done.

Reborn could already imagine the little clockworks moving in the toddler's head as he repeated the same process again.

"Uuu!" Interested, Tsuna tried to grab onto a fistful of suit's sleeve, tugging that large arm down persistently.

Reborn decided to let him as he lowered his hand with his fork. But he didn't exactly allowed Tsuna to have it as the hitman placed the utensil aside. Instead, he took a small clean spoon that he had prepared in advance. Reborn also pulled the small plate closer to them, indicating that it was for the toddler. Now, seeing this, Tsuna took the offered utensil with his tiny hand, clutching it with a fist by the handle. He then peered at the small quantity of his food and tried to follow the same way the man had done.

It didn't seem to be much of a feat for the toddler though.

Reborn had watched with the corner of his lips turned upwards slightly, noticing how clumsily his young charge was trying to mimic him. Even Tsuna made a small sound of distress whenever the pasta he tried to scoop up fell out of his plate. And at the fourth attempt, the toddler gave a cry of frustration and used his tiny hands instead.

Reborn immediately stopped Tsuna before he could grab one piece of the pasta.

"Dame Tsuna, you're not doing it properly." The hitman decided to show him how it should be done. With one of his large hands, he guided the tiny grasp slowly with the small spoon. "Don't just push it over the edge. The spoon is not going to scoop it up by itself if you don't do it correctly."

Tsuna blinked, watching.

"Try moving your wrist." Reborn started to demonstrate his own a little to show.

The toddler instead moved his entire hand and arm to the side —perhaps a bit too forcefully behind the movement. A small amount of the sauce and some pasta were pushed off the edge and onto the table. Seeing this, the hitman smacked his hand to his face. Teaching or training teenagers were completely different. Reborn usually used threats and physical harm to knock some sense into their heads —a fine example would be those dense Mafia bosses whose names were Dino or older Tsuna. So currently, the man was having a bit of a problem with the toddler.

"Uuu!" The young brunet started making random circles with his spoon using the sauce.

Reborn could only tut at the sight before him. "Food is not for playing, dame Tsuna." _Unless there's sex involved of course._ But clearly, this wasn't that kind of situation, time or person.

A large hand suddenly stopped the toddler for the second time, guiding the tiny grasp with the spoon. He scooped up some pasta and slowly brought it to Tsuna's lips. And soon enough, the toddler allowed the man to put it into his opened mouth. Reborn's sharp eyes watched him chew, making sure the other had done so properly and swallowed before repeating the same process again. It would be at another time before he could allow Tsuna to try feeding himself.

The first try was a failure.

_Sigh..._

* * *

_**A/N**_: I tried my best to upload each chapter as fast as I could but I have other stuff to handle as well. I'm trying to balance between this story and the things I have to attend to in real life. D: So I apologize if I end up taking too long for this amount of words per chapter. If I tried to make it longer, well... it'll just take longer for me to upload due to inspirations. I'm so slow. *sobs* I didn't even get to draw for my Reborn ask blog... orz

Thanks for much for the reviews. It makes me smile every time I see a notification of it in my inbox. :D

Like before, reviews would be nice on any constructive criticism and comments. They would help me greatly in improving my story as I get used to this.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Summary**_: Read above

**Beta:** momorona

_**Rating:**_ T might change to M in later chapters

_**Disclaimer**_: Only the plot of this is my idea

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

At the last spoonful, rather than eating it obediently, little Tsuna shook his fluffy brown head and made disgruntled gurgling. Instead, he pushed the spoon up towards Reborn with a hopeful look and a cheery '_Da_'. It appeared that the toddler was trying to indicate that Reborn should eat it too. Seeing that the man had been feeding him the entire time, it made the young brunet want to do the same. It should be fair, right? He wanted to have a go too!

"Da!" A determined look.

"…"

Reborn merely stared back down with a passive gaze. Was the brat even serious? He could clearly see a small frown starting to show up upon Tsuna's brow together with a little pout. That cheery smile wouldn't last for long. Any minute now and the waterworks would start. Was he even given a choice to decline? No. There was no way he would want a repeat performance from earlier when Reborn tried to carry him. He sighed through his nose, allowing the spoon to slip past his parted lips just as Tsuna cheered happily, his tiny hands clapped together in sheer delight. Seeing his young charge's happiness from such a simple deed made the hitman wonder if he was starting to go soft from trying to avoid the other form crying.

Him, going soft? _Nah_.

It was laughable enough as it was if the rest of the former _Arcobaleno_ were to hear of this. Many had feared him due to his well-known reputation as the number one Hitman. So if one were to hear of him going soft all because of a toddler, they would find it impossible to believe. Even he knew that. Reborn mentally told himself that he just wanted to avoid the same mistake. Nothing more, nothing less.

With breakfast done, dirty dishes sitting on the dinner table, and a well-fed toddler bouncing energetically on his lap, Reborn wondered how he was going to investigate the place further. He doubted leaving a bundle of energy alone would allow him to start on anything, knowing how clumsy Tsuna would be. Furthermore, the toddler would put anything reachable straight into that mouth of his. Reborn had already witnessed that first hand and had stopped the young brunet just in time, each time. It would also be questionable to leave a toddler locked up in a room alone. He hadn't checked every corner in this house yet. So that would most likely be out of the option. Who knew what would be hidden, ready to be uncovered? It might even be dangerous to a naïve young brunet if Tsuna tried to grab whatever it was in there.

Just thinking about each alternative would end up back to square one. It would lead him to a dead-end whenever Reborn tried to come up with a solution. And he had a hunch that Tsuna wouldn't be able to sit still, seeing how vigorous the toddler was bouncing on his lap. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to carry him around, despite how distracting it could be, but still possible to do his part in this household. And besides, it appeared that Tsuna did not mind the arm around him now that breakfast was over. Was it likely that the brat liked to be carried?

But that was a problem in itself now that Reborn had figure out the solution for the first part. How should he go about it? The hitman tried to rack his brain for anything he could think of on how parents handled their children. Was there a special technique in carrying them? Just how did one go about on something like this? He remembered Iemitsu wouldn't stop blabbering about how cute his son was each time Reborn had come across the man during a meeting with Vongola Nono. Nothing helpful on handling a toddler. Tch. Seriously, there was no point trying to recall further on all Tsuna related conversations he had with the head of CEDEF. But before he could think more on it, the toddler suddenly struggled to turn around, though with difficulty. Reborn watched, wondering what the other was up to.

It didn't take long for Tsuna to be in the position he wanted. So when the young brunet appeared satisfied just by facing the man, he peered up at Reborn, tiny hands already fisting the material of his suit. The sight itself managed to give him an idea.

_Maybe, just maybe…_

Would it work?

With that same arm around Tsuna's small body, he stood up from his seat. The sudden movement in itself immediately caused the toddler to have his little limbs cling onto the man like a Koala to a tree. Reborn decided to give his new found theory a go, standing there by the dining table and watching quietly for any response from the other. With little adjustments here and there, where Tsuna's butt was supported by his hand, the man was pleased that no crying was involved after five minutes. He could even see Tsuna's large brown orbs glancing around in wonder. With Reborn's great height, the curious toddler was able to see more, fluffy head turning from side to side towards random directions.

_This isn't so bad. Seems like I have managed to accomplish something._

Pleased, the hitman strode out of the kitchens with Tsuna.

* * *

"Dis?"

A tiny hand stretched out towards the closest object sitting on a beautiful oak bookcase. It was impressive in size, taking up an entire wall and currently filled with dark leather hardcover books as well as some… unusual items placed there. Currently, they were in another room which appeared to be a small study opposite the bedroom he'd found them in. Little Tsuna tilted his fluffy head to the side curiously despite being unable to reach for a questionable object. Reborn had made sure not to allow the toddler to touch anything within reach, no matter how harmless it might appear. Better safe than sorry.

"Yes, this." The hitman corrected his pronunciation, observing closely at it in deep thought. It was currently on the top shelf like a decorative item. But just what was it doing there of all places? "…it's a bar of soap." Every new discovery got weirder and weirder each time.

And why was a bar of scented soap on a bookcase? Then again, there was also the fact that its soap dish was overturned on top of its said counterpart. Was there some meaning to it? It certainly looked odd in itself enough among the dusty thick tomes. And the more Reborn tried to comprehend this, the more he couldn't figure it out. So deep was he into his thoughts that he had just realized that Tsuna had been trying to get his attention.

"-da! Dada!" The hitman didn't even notice that it almost sounded like '_Daddy_'.

More constant tugging onto his suit as the same tiny hand tried to reach for something shiny on the second shelf. Reborn's sharp eyes immediately caught sight of what it was and made no move to go nearer.

…_this time it's a butter knife?_

This was starting to get too confusing, like random puzzles pieces that clearly did not fit into the whole picture. Though Tsuna on the other hand… Anyone could see that the toddler wanted to have it. It seemed this was a first for Reborn to learn that his young charge was quite fascinated with shiny objects. A teaspoon, a tablespoon and now a butter knife? He wouldn't want to think further if it got to the actual cutlery or a fork. Even the hitman knew well enough that those things wouldn't be safe for one who kept putting objects into his mouth. It would be a disaster if Tsuna ended up hurting himself. Then where would Reborn be? He would be tried for neglect as an unfit guardian, most likely, if that were to happen.

"DADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Tsuna wailed.

"No."

Reborn was firm in his answer, giving the toddler a look that he would not change his mind. But he didn't like it whenever Tsuna got upset. A crying brunet would be too distracting for the hitman to focus on his task. At least, that was what Reborn told himself whenever things got out of hand with the toddler. And as for Tsuna, the sight of those eyes immediately had him cowering, feeling smaller if possible compared to his tiny frame by the hitman's arm. There was also a small, unhappy pout as the young brunet sulked quietly, not looking towards Reborn's way. The hitman peered down at the other for a moment in silence.

_At least he's not crying._

Reborn returned his attention to the unusual items on the bookcase, studying the design, arrangement and the area where they were placed at. If the soap and its dish were placed at the top shelf, and the butter knife at the second, then that meant there would be another odd item at the bottom. Reborn crouched down, his sharp onyx eyes observing every single detail at the untidily stacked tomes. They appeared untouched, judging by the way a thick layer of undisturbed dust had settled upon the surface. And further down to the other end of the shelf, he could see more books. But… wait a minute.

Squinting a little as he moved closer, towards the hidden corner of the shelf. There appeared to be some small, unidentifiable objects covered in dust. They looked shrunken, dull in colour, which Reborn wasn't able to tell, and… were they rotten? He continued to stare at the disgusting sight for a moment or two before a thought occurred to him.

Hmm… didn't they look strangely like tomatoes?

So all three shelves had some weird object being placed there. Rotten tomatoes on a bookcase and a plant full of them back in the top cabinet's kitchens. Perhaps there was some link to these? Somehow, right at that moment, little Tsuna tugged painfully onto his right sideburns. Reborn winced slightly.

"Oi, dame Tsuna, don't pull that." The hitman tried to pry those tiny fingers apart from trying to rip it off him. Reborn then brought his attention back to the toddler. "What?"

Tsuna squirmed in the man's hold, frowning. "Pee pee…" And he squirmed even further.

"Hold it in. I'll see if I can find the toilet." Reborn quickly stood up, mind already on the alert for the first sign of the bathroom. He left the study they had been in.

_Just where is it?_

"Pee! Peeeeeee!" Tsuna whined louder, upset as he squirmed even harder. Reborn almost lost his hold on him.

"Oi, oi, oi! You're going to make me drop you if you're not going to stay still, dame Tsuna!" The hitman almost growled through gritted teeth as he hurried his pace. His eyes kept darting aimlessly around him, searching for their destination. But there was no sign of it. There were just too many rooms to keep count.

_Just where is the god damn bathroom already?! And why isn't there one out of this huge place?!_

Was that a staircase?

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Tsuna screamed, crying just when Reborn burst through a wooden door and found it at last. Yeah, right at the second damn floor too.

The hitman immediately carried the toddler straight to the toilet bowl, his large hands holding underneath those arm pits while also pulling the too-large t-shirt up. And right in the nick of time, Tsuna peed into the bowl, his small feet standing on the toilet seat while Reborn supported him from behind. There were quiet hiccups and sniffing coming from his young charge, that fluffy head bowed. And while Reborn was waiting for Tsuna to finish his business, he had a sudden image of himself, a hitman helping a kid with his peeing. It was such a weird image to picture if one was to come across them and witnessed this scene. Weird indeed.

And seeing nothing underneath that too-large t-shirt, told Reborn that the other was poorly clothed. Sawada Nana shouldn't be that bad at parenting from what he knew after living with them for some time. So it shouldn't be it. And what was with the choice of clothing attire Tsuna was given? It looked more like the toddler was neglected. And Reborn did not like this. Not one bit at all.

Once this catastrophe was dealt with, he would make sure to check back on the Sawada household again. It couldn't be that he had missed out some parts when the hitman did a background check on them. Even Iemitsu wasn't horrible enough of a father to be this way to his son too.

"Dada?" called a small meek voice before him.

Reborn broke away from his thoughts. "Hmm…?"

"Noh pee pee." Tsuna answered in the same tone, tilting his fluffy head back to peer up at the man. Such innocence radiated off him in waves at that large doe eyed look.

The corner of Reborn's lips lifted slightly. "Hmm, you're done I see." Automatically, he helped Tsuna off the toilet seat and led the toddler towards the sink. He was just about to clean their hands when he paused by the running water from the tap. There seemed to be a bit of a problem.

There was just no soap.

_Didn't I see it earlier…? Isn't it at the bookcase?_

In replacement of the said cleaning substance, Reborn instead used shampoo when he found a bottle of its contents in the bathroom. And at the sight of bubbles, Tsuna squealed in delight, his tiny hands already splashing soapy water here and there. The hitman would have told him off for making them wet but currently, Reborn's mind was elsewhere. If the soap with its dish was on the top shelf and if it was linked to the second floor to indicate as the bathroom, wouldn't that be the same for the other two?

_Does this mean the bookcase is like some map in itself of this place?_

It somehow made sense, if he matched the tomatoes together; bottom shelf meant the ground or first floor. And with this, it must be the kitchens. But wouldn't the butter knife be more fitting, seeing as the soap and its dish was at the top shelf, meaning the bathroom at the second floor. So if the butter knife at the second shelf represent as the kitchen at the first or ground floor, then what would the tomatoes be as? Would it perhaps be some sort of underground greenhouse…?

_Wait, underground?_

* * *

_**A/N**_: I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG ASS LACK OF UPDATE. TAT PLEASE FORGIVE ME. orz *sobs* Being an animation student is tough… I didn't even get to draw khr much, ugh.

Anyway, hopefully the clues Reborn kept coming across wouldn't confuse you readers too much. X'D He's starting to fit them bit by bit but it's a slow process. However, good news is that Tsuna is starting to consider him as his father. Oh and he's also starting to speak a bit XD I wonder if anyone had noticed that Reborn is starting to naturally fit in as the role of a father figure. He just doesn't realize it yet. Lol. And gosh, this story has a lot of endings I could use. Whether there's a villain responsible for this or not, who the villain is, the motive, the mastermind being not the villain at all, etc. it has so many possibilities! 8'D

Hurr hurr hurr, good luck guessing, my dear readers~ But it's still early for the end yet.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Summary**_: Read above

**Beta:** momorona

_**Rating:**_ T might change to M in later chapters

_**Disclaimer**_: Only the plot of this is my idea

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

An underground greenhouse, huh? Though it wasn't surprising to have an underground basement, it was the thought of plants growing in the damp, dark and enclosed space that made Reborn wonder. Was it possible at this day and age? Planning to check that out, the hitman was about to see if Tsuna was done causing destruction to his suit, when there was absolute silence in the bathroom. The tiny toddler was nowhere to be seen. Neither a hide nor strand of hair was around. This immediately sent alarm bells ringing in his ears.

Reborn would not admit that he was currently panicking over this. No, he had his pride as a cold, ruthless assassin to manage.

Turning the running tap off, Reborn calmly dried his hands over a clean face towel. But within him raged a frantic beast thrashing about at the loss of a child he was supposed to be responsible for. He would not give in to a full blown panic attack. No, it was completely ridiculous and stupid to be seen like that. That would make him weak and pathetic and he had a hard earned reputation to uphold. So Reborn was never going to break down and scream at the top of his lungs over the dame-ness of his young charge. Or even ransack the entire household for a single, puffy haired cry baby from top to bottom, left and right.

Taking a deep breath to calm his tense muscles, Reborn stiffly strode out of the bathroom, dark orbs sharp on the lookout for mass of brown hair. Just when did that toddler manage to slip off under his eye? For one so small and barely able to walk properly, Tsuna shouldn't be off too far. He was just about to peek into the closest room when faint sounds of tiny feet toddled unsteadily at some distance, but whether it was from the left or right, Reborn could not tell. The echo it gave came from either direction together with little child-like giggles. It was as though the toddler decided now was the right time for hide-go-seek.

"Dame _Tsuna…_" Reborn almost growled out with narrowed gaze, trying to decide which way he should start his search.

With an unknown place, it was no time for games! And the hitman hadn't even looked through every inch yet. This had become bothersome for him with his young charge to manage. Reborn waited silently like a hawk for the sound again, hoping against hope that he could somehow figure out the direction the toddler was at.

"Dame Tsuna!" Reborn called out as calmly as he could, voice strong and firmed like a father was about to scold his child for wandering off mindlessly on his own. The hitman hadn't realized this fact of course. But he was serious now. He needed to make sure Tsuna was safe and not hurt himself in the process of wandering about.

Reborn decided to ignore the pounding of his heart beating strongly in his ears over his missing charge. He gritted his teeth when again, the sound of tiny feet heading off even further from where he was. Reborn wasn't even getting any closer to Tsuna's location! It was starting to get on his nerves and he gritted his teeth in frustration. But just when he thought he heard the giggles again, dame Tsuna suddenly gave a high pitched shriek, the sound shooting right to Reborn's frantic heart at the cry-like scream. The hitman immediately froze to the spot; face paling as cold sweat gathered upon his brow.

_No!_ The boy should be safe, probably trip over his little feet and cry from the fall would be the most likely scenario. That was what Reborn believed, after witnessing firsthand earlier of the brunet's shrilling cries. But there was none. No crying or even the sound of wandering any more.

_Just where in the world is he, damnit?!_

Reborn repeated curse after curse over Tsuna, his feet managing to bring him forth, and this time quickly as he kicked door after door down with his foot. He did not care if he managed to send the old wood clean off its hinges. Or even break things along the way whenever it slammed harshly against a shelf full of fragile objects. Reborn had no time to check what they were, seeing that he only had a once glance over through of the room for a puffy mane of brown hair. But seeing none, the hitman would leave and did the same process for the rest of the rooms. And the more he checked, the more Reborn grew worried.

It couldn't be that dame Tsuna managed to fall into a hole or off the edge of the earth, right? It would be laughable. But suddenly, it did not seem that funny after all. It appeared possible for the first, seeing as this place was unusual to begin with. And having a large hole on the ground wasn't that uncommon. Reborn's breathing became frantic now as he almost thrashed through this maze-like floor like a trapped animal. Horrid scenes of a badly broken and injured Tsuna appearing in his head and the hitman's fear grew at the images showing up in his mind's eye. He needed to find him quick!

Reborn felt that he might demolish the entire place if he did not find him soon.

_Damnit, Tsuna, just where are you?!_

"Tsunayoshi! _Answer me!_" Reborn yelled, his deep voice boomed and echoed out, hoping for a response but got none. "_ANSWER ME DAMNIT!_"

Worry turned to anger and the hitman almost tore down rooms after rooms, not caring in the least that this place was someone's home to begin with. Tsuna's safety was on his hands, especially that the child 'was' supposed to be the Decimo for Vongola. It would be his fault if he ended up having the boy killed off somewhere and not even being able to find the little body lying there. It was bad enough to lose him in the first place!

And now this.

Ugh.

"SAWADA TSUNAYOSHI, YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN DEEP SHIT ONCE I GET A HOLD OF YOUR TEENAGE SELF!" Reborn roared furiously as a string of Italian curses flew off at the tip of his tongue. "I WILL MAKE SURE I WILL WORK THAT DAMNABLE ASS OFF FOR WEEKS FOR-"

And suddenly, there were the unmistakable sounds of Tsuna crying out for Reborn. But they were faint.

"-da.. Da da…" Tsuna appeared to sound broken, hiccupping and crying that it was so heart wrenching. It almost broke Reborn's steeled heart in two.

Not wasting a second, the hitman strained his ears for the direction it came from, hearing the cries continuing –which was a good, yet bad thing. But at least there was progress in his search. Tsuna sounded as though he had remained at the same spot, making Reborn's life easier in his work. And making completely sure it was towards the right way, the hitman quickly headed down the corridor, the lights here were dim and strangely eerie in this part of the place.

There weren't even any windows after midway through this corridor.

It looked almost like a murder scene, was Reborn's thought as he observed closely. He could see wet splashes of dark substance decorating the walls and floor at random directions –most likely blood– and the foul smells getting stronger the further he got which confirmed his thoughts. Some unnamable antiques were broken beyond repair, littering the ground and untouched after.

Was it some fight that had occured here recently? It appeared to be exactly as he saw it, judging from how everything around him was in a mess. At least there weren't any decomposing bodies around. Reborn feared how little Tsuna would take in at the sight of the deceased lying about. It was bad enough to have him lost here. For one who was dame, he hoped the boy was far too naïve and young to understand what the other was looking at. Right now, he would need to put that aside because his attention immediately went straight towards the small trembling figure hunched over on the floor while sobbing his eyes out. It was right towards the end of this corridor and Reborn almost flew down towards his destination for the poor toddler.

"…da da…" Tsuna sobbed weakly, sniffing and hiccupping once in a while as though the brunet had cried himself hoarse. Currently the toddler was curled up in a tiny ball; face buried against clothed knees while rocking back and forth from where he sat.

It was a worrying sight as Reborn finally came up to him. Tsuna's too-large t-shirt appeared dirty and covered every part of him except for his fluffy head at the top; his little arms could barely be seen in such a dim area. Were there any bruises or worse, bleeding? The hitman quickly crouched down before the little ball, a large hand placing carefully and gently onto the trembling form. But little did Reborn know that an innocent little touch appeared to have sent Tsuna jerking in fright and him screaming in horror.

What…

"Shhh, it's me, Tsunayoshi. It's me." Reborn tried to calm the other down, his voice as gentle as he could possibly achieve. He stroked Tsuna's fluffy mane of hair in a soothing manner while carefully pulling the toddler into his lap and arms protectively.

Just what had the boy seen? Was it something that Reborn had missed? Other than the dark stains on the walls, there was nothing much horrifying but a large mess. And rather than struggling, Tsuna immediately clutched hold of the hitman's suit in a death grip and appeared to have recognized him by voice alone since the boy hadn't even look up at him. Something must have scared the other so much that the toddler dared not look around and about. Just what it was, Reborn couldn't come up with an answer. There were just too many possibilities for someone who feared so many things. It could be something as ridicules as a harmless picture.

Or it could be something to do with this scene they were at currently.

It could be related. Or it could not be. Best to get away from here.

And unable to think further about it, Reborn slowly and carefully carried his young charge into his arms before turning around to head back. At least back to the room where they first woken up from. Tsuna's small arms were around Reborn's neck, face buried there and hidden from view as he sniffed and hiccupped quietly. For someone who always cried noisily, this behaviour was off. Soon, the dimness of the corridor lightened and as the windows came into view, Reborn noticed for the first time that Tsuna was almost completely covered in blood.

His face paled, seeing that fluffy mane of hair was dirtied like that too-large t-shirt. But other than that, the toddler appeared not to be bleeding at any places on him, he hoped. Despite seeing too many opened wounds in his past, just to be sure Tsuna was entirely harm-free; he would need to wash that blood away while getting Tsuna a clean set of clothes. But was it possible to find a similar size with the toddler?

* * *

Tsuna just wouldn't stop clinging onto him. Reborn had just brought them back to the same bathroom they had used earlier. And now, as he had the hot water running in the bathtub while wanting to get rid of their dirtied clothing, Tsuna did not want to let him go. His little body continued to tremble, teary face glued against his neck. Though Reborn was glad his crying wasn't going to deafen him, this psychological state of his was far more worrying now. Just what had the boy seen?

"Tsuna," Reborn began softly, managing on ridding his suit, fedora, pants and shoes aside, he decided to just have them half submerged in the warm water for now. His ruined soaked shirt that had been dirtied by the blood from Tsuna wasn't important right now. "You're safe. See? Bubbles."

The hitman quickly used some of the shampoo, mix it with water to create some for the boy with his hands. Would it be enough to get the toddler's mind off whatever it was the brunet had seen? Hopefully. Though it took a bit of coaxing on his part, it worked out gradually. There wasn't any more crying, just some occasional hiccups and sniffs. But Tsuna did glance at the pretty bubbles, his large doe-like eyes all red and puffy from crying. Even the too-large t-shirt was discarded successfully.

A tiny hand reached out hesitantly towards a large bubble.

"Babbu?" Came a small meek voice. Reborn quickly used the distraction to clean Tsuna's tiny fingers and palm. At the same time, he managed to let the toddler have some bubbles on his small grasp.

"Hmm, bubbles." Reborn corrected, a small smile appearing upon his lips. And just when Tsuna lifted up his soapy hand, the hitman's sharp eyes caught sight on what was about to happen. He quickly stopped the other before the toddler could do what Reborn assumed the boy would have done. "Bad. It's not for eating. Don't put it into your mouth."

"Babbu pwetty"

"You don't eat bubbles. They're pretty, I know, but you'll get a tummy ache if you do."

Tsuna continued to stare at the foamy substance on his small hand before he did something that Reborn wasn't expecting. The toddler decided the hitman's face needed to be clean too, spreading them onto his nose, cheeks and chin in curious wonder. Though Tsuna wasn't smiling, at least he wasn't upset from his earlier experience. But this boy was too closed up, compared to his usual cheery self. It felt like a different Tsuna than what Reborn was used to. It felt alien and off. Would the future end up with an alternate lifestyle?

Maybe he was looking far too deep into this. Yes, that might be it. And it was a good thing that there weren't any cuts on the boy's delicate skin too.

A small yawn escaped the boy's lips as those large brown eyes started to droop close. Reborn quickly finished cleaning Tsuna as much as he could. And even if the latter didn't want to let go of him still, the hitman wasn't going to allow that to interfere with his work. He wasted no time getting things done, draining the dirty water away, dried them with clean towels before heading them back towards the bedroom. Tsuna, by then, could be seen snoozing away, head resting on Reborn's shoulder while being carried by the said man himself. Everything was as normal as it could get.

Well, if you considered being stuck in such a situation in the first place as 'normal'.

And now… what should he do about Tsuna's clothes?

* * *

_**A/N**_: My bad that I took so long with updates. Assignments were mostly short deadlines so it was impossible for me to do anything but that. Now that the holidays are here, I'll try my best to be more active in updating now.

I'm sure all of you must be wondering what Tsuna had seen. It'll be revealed soon somewhat and yet, is part of the puzzle in this place. I shall not say more about it. After all, it's best to let the readers come up with their own perspective on what all these mysteries are about.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Summary**_: Read above

**Beta:** momorona

_**Rating:**_ T might change to M in later chapters

_**Disclaimer**_: Only the plot of this is my idea

* * *

**CHAPTER 6**

For one who had been part of the underworld for so long, making use of his surroundings was what he was used to in his line of work. This particular habit usually helped him against his opponents, allowing Reborn to be successful. So why not reuse this method once more for something minor like now? It wasn't like it would be a futile attempt, to what he knew of. And with that, the hitman decided on his search for things that he could make use of. Little Tsuna could be seen curled up in the hitman's strong arm, fast asleep while the man himself glanced about for some materials to create a makeshift attire suitable for the toddler.

It didn't take Reborn long to get the things he needed in this bedroom. A pair scissors and a pillow case he had taken off the bed the hitman had woken up from. With Tsuna asleep on his lap, after careful adjustments of his hold on his part, Reborn snipped off holes large enough for a toddler's head and arms to slip through. For the time being, this would be temporary until he could either get the too-large t-shirt washed or find a nice set of clothes for the boy. It was better than having Tsuna butt naked all over the place.

Reborn started to place it onto the toddler, making sure his movements did not wake the other. But he need not be worried about it, seeing that Tsuna slept like the dead.

_He must be exhausted from the morning's events. And after that trauma, whatever it was, must have tired him out a lot._

Judging by the position of the sun in the cloudless sky, Reborn observed that it would most likely be sometime in the early afternoon. Probably after twelve, hearing the street filled with civilians going about their duties. There were also the unmistaken sounds of a market nearby as wings of birds fluttered close by his window. Wait. Weren't they… Reborn did a double take, noticing for the first time that they were indeed opened. He did not remember having to undo the lock, having been away from this room the entire morning. And to add to the list of mysteries, Reborn could see from a glance around that there were additional items compared to before.

It was as though someone was messing with him, causing confusion and unrest as though on purpose to the number one hitman. This had become a serious and complicated matter as he placed the sleeping toddler to rest on bed. Reborn's lips paused while standing before the desk, dark orbs glued to the shiny metallic surface of the familiar equipment laying on a piece of folded parchment. His entire body grew tense, seeing the semi-automatic pistol he had used the very first time way before his career as an assassin. It was the same pistol he used for his first kill, the only weapon he had nicked at that time when being attacked by some unknown men. Reborn was barely only twelve at that time.

But now, as he continued to stare, his attention soon turned towards the parchment, wondering what was written there. It was most likely for him, seeing how obvious it suddenly appeared and laid there in the open as though they knew Reborn would catch sight of it right away. There was even a full magazine beside it, an additional supply in case the bullets ran out dry.

The hitman picked the folded parchment up, already steeling himself for what was to come. Whether it be good or bad, Reborn was ready for whatever was thrown at him. But it certainly did throw him off at the shortest message he saw the moment the raven unfolded it. It was neither good nor bad. It was neutral, a warning of the sort in a sense.

_Just in case._

That was it. Three letters in an elegant cursive handwritten response to him. Whoever the writer was, Reborn could not recognize. Though he was still hesitant about having it, the familiarity of having a pistol was enough to set him at ease. At least Reborn wasn't defenseless now. He quickly slipped the folded parchment into his suit's pocket, the very same one together with the pocket watch as he wore back his clothes. Reborn did not waste another second, pocketing the pistol together with the magazine. While that was happening, the hitman did not notice a presence watching him from the shadows by the door way, carefully making sure it was not seen within Reborn's experienced sharp eyes.

A small smirk made its way upon his lips before the unknown figure soon disappeared back into the shadows soundlessly, never to be seen after that.

* * *

A freshly made cup of espresso sat on the same working desk Reborn had found the pistol and parchment earlier. Said man himself was seen seated before the furniture, contemplating over the message repeatedly in his head while turning the parchment over here and there for any clues. Tsuna continued to sleep on without a care on his little back, small mouth hanging open while his head was full of fluffy mass of bed hair. The only sound other than the traffic outside was the toddler's soft breathing. And as Reborn turned the parchment for the nth time, he finally, and at last, placed it back onto the desk with a soft frustrated sigh.

Nothing really told him anything about it. Even for such an old method, to him, of writing a message, the parchment itself looked new, the material freshly taken from having bought perhaps just recently. There were no marks or crease on it, the edges undamaged, the ink wasn't smudge yet crisp and clean on the surface. But it did told him that the writer was most likely to be of a high class status, judging from the way it was being written.

That was all Reborn knew and it wasn't saying much about this mysterious person.

He would have to investigate more on this later. Because right now, the hitman planned to check back the area where he last found Tsuna. He wanted to know what it was that might have caused the toddler to break down like that, to appear this distraught enough to have Reborn wonder if it ended up scarring Tsuna mentally for life.

But even with the plan of heading back to the area, the hitman could not bear the thought of leaving the toddler asleep here alone unprotected. It wouldn't be wise to leave the boy by himself, even he knew that. So his only choice was to carry the brunet along with him. Hopefully the other would be far too deep in his sleep to be awake to see the scene again. With that decided, Reborn quickly drained his coffee in a few large gulps, leaving the empty cup before picking the sleeping toddler up into his arms carefully. Even while being unconscious to the world around him, Tsuna automatically burrowed his face against the crook of Reborn's neck and slept on while the man himself adjusted him slightly in his hold.

With a final glance around the room, Reborn soon left with the toddler, wondering if this mysterious person would leave him another message and objects again. He would just need to find out later.

It didn't take him long to get to the scene from what Reborn remembered once he tried to retrace his steps when searching for the brunet earlier. There were a few times he went in the wrong direction, which wasn't surprising seeing as he was in such a large maze-like place to begin with. But after the sixth turn around a corner, up ahead was the destination he was looking for. There was no mistaking of the eeriness right at the end, the dark stains along the walls and the growing mess the further he went. Now that Reborn wasn't frantic with worry over the boy, the hitman noticed that the corridor appeared narrow, the dimness causing the walls to give the hallucination of them closing in. It would have made one feel uneasy and claustrophobic, the lacking of windows made things harder to see clearer on his surroundings. Reborn was already used to scenes like this before.

But it did not meant that he would be used to the sensation it gave off. That annoying unease it made him feel. Because such feeling always made him be on his toes, his body tense, his ears and eyes on the lookout for any assassins after his head. This kind of location allowed his opponent to hide and blend into the dark easily, making it hard for him to see by eyes alone. And if he made the mistake of giving the other a moment of opening, Reborn knew well enough that he would be dead before he could find out the direction of the attack.

The hitman adjusted Tsuna again, making sure that the toddler was well protected and hidden from view of any attackers with his large body and arm. He even had the pistol out at the ready in hand just in case –like the message told him earlier. Reborn knew he was starting to feel a little paranoid about this, his heart beating a mile a minute. But past experiences caused him to react instinctively to such situation as this. And he had a clear knowledge that this type of scene usually targeted the weak at heart, causing them to hallucinate from fear. Though he managed to steel himself for this, Reborn silently admit that it was somewhat starting to affect him. And that did not mean he was weak at all. There was just something off about staying too long within this area. How was it that he felt normal earlier while searching for the boy compared to now?

Why was it that it was different for the second time?

Reborn decided that it was time to stop and head back rather than approaching further. It wasn't the fear that was stopping him from proceeding; it was his breathing that was making it difficult for him. The air around him was lacking in oxygen and also the fact that there was the painful sensation of someone squeezing his lungs. He was also starting to feel dizzy, his stomach turning and making him want to throw up. And as cold sweat covered him like a new layer of skin, soaking his dress shirt, Reborn felt as though he could pass out any moment. All these were affecting him fast within minutes.

_I need to get us out of here, quickly!_

Face paled while gasping for breath, Reborn stumbled to the side unsteadily, that same arm holding the pistol rest against the wall for balance. He could feel Tsuna trembling hard against his hold even while asleep, making him wonder if this unusual sensation affecting him was the cause of what happened earlier. Reborn would have to think about this later because getting away was his number one priority at the moment. But he had a problem.

His limbs suddenly felt too heavy for him to move fast enough to leave.

All Reborn could do was sit at the side with his back against the dark stained walls, eyes unfocused and half lidded while struggling to breathe. While being unable to move, thoughts of '_What if this is the work of a Mist user_' or '_Some sick bastard decided to mess with me, thinking it is funny to see me struggle_' ran through his mind. They were both possible scenarios but he had too many enemies to pin these on. Too many possibilities against him from his opponents and yet, no answer came to him.

And as his vision grew blurry while only his pathetic breathings could be heard loud in his ears, Reborn noticed a dark figure approaching him from the left. He could not make out the details on said person, his mind screaming at him to move, to lift his arm that held the pistol in defense. But none obeyed him.

Reborn felt himself falling, eyes rolling back into his head just as the unknown figure stopped before him.

"…you shouldn't have been here in the first place."

Reborn blacked out after that.

* * *

And the next time Reborn woke, it was already evening. He found himself back in the same bedroom, Tsuna sleeping soundly against him. He had his arm over the toddler's little body protectively, the pistol gone from his hand. But one look over towards the desk told him that it was back there again. However, he was right about his earlier thoughts. There was another message from where the weapon was being used as a paper weight over it. The room was currently lacking in light but the pale moon made up for it, illuminating only some parts of the place. It shone down through the opened windows, bathing the folded parchment and pistol in its pale glow like a miniature spotlight. Reborn wasted no time to get off the bed, mindful of the sleeping young toddler and leaving him there, and headed quickly over towards the desk.

He made a grab for both, went up towards the opened door of the bedroom and checked outside for any individual around. But alas, it was just him and Tsuna. The corridor was empty of any soul but strangely, Reborn did not remember lighting any candles while he was unconscious to the world. Someone must have done it, even carrying them back here. Someone strong enough and obviously male and most likely the owner of this place.

It was no surprise to him now but why hide from them? Was there a reason to do such a thing like this? It did not appear to be an enemy, seeing as he was still unharmed; minus the weird sensation he was experiencing earlier, and giving him a pistol to add to the list. Any assassins would have finished him off by now or on the spot when he was being found. Chopped his head off clean from his shoulders and give it back to their bosses as evidence that they managed to eliminate the number one hitman. But Reborn was still in one piece.

He winced slightly, feeling a headache blossom within his head the more he tried to make sense of all these. And as Reborn headed back in, he shut the room's door and lit up a new candle by the desk. It seemed that the owner preferred the old method of light than the electricity in this generation if he wasn't wrong. He sat by the desk, already unfolding the new parchment while wondering what the writer would tell him next. Was it another warning again?

This time, there wasn't even an explanation on why from such response.

_Whatever you do, don't head back to the end of that corridor. No human should step foot in there._

All Reborn could do was pinch the bridge of his nose with a soft sigh. But the second part of that response made him curious. Just why was it phrase in such a way? He could understand if the writer wrote it as '_No one_' but human? There was something off about this. From what he had gathered ever since he had woken up, Reborn quickly searched for a clean piece of parchment and managed to find one, he started to write down in point form of a short list.

He wrote:

_Woke up to find dame Tsuna as a toddler  
No pacifier of the Acobaleno curse on me  
Entire place turns out to be a maze  
Bookshelf turns out to be some sort of map  
Bathroom can only be found at the second floor  
Potted plant of tomatoes in kitchen's top cabinet  
Some objects shouldn't be found in this current timeline yet but are here  
Unknown corridor at the end giving weird symptoms to the receiver  
Might be the same reason for dame Tsuna freaking out badly  
Messages and objects left by unknown person  
Most importantly, too many rooms in this freaking place_

These were what he knew of with no answer to any of them. He could understand if this mysterious figure had an odd way of placing his stuff at unusual places. Reborn couldn't even figure out the mindset of said person, finding everything too unexplainable for him to get what was going on. Just what was the other thinking? Was he friend or foe with a scheme in mind?

But most importantly, would it be possible for him and Tsuna to return back in their own timeline at all?

* * *

_**A/N**_: Feel free to vote on who that 'myterious person' is. Hurr hurr hurr… I'll see if any of you managed to get it right with the one I have in mind. The only clue I can give: He's part of the mafia. Whether he's canon or not, I can't say since well… *coughs* that's enough of hints I've given.

I won't reveal the answer till it's time to bring him into light in the story. Good luck guessing~


End file.
